Cellulose bird cage



R. L. TULLIS CELLULOSE BIRD CAGE ciiginal Filed Feb.l9, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 13, 1928. 1,662,687

5 g4. z y Z 39 48 Lg gwuentop 15 4 w, I Gttoz wqv March 13, 1928. 7 1,662,687 R. L. TULLIS CELLULOSE BIRD CAGE Original Filed Feb. 9. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M M&M

Patented Mar. 13, 1928..

UNITED STATES Ross L. TULLIS, on NEW HAVEN, connnctrrcu'r.

CELLULOSE BIRD CAGE.

Continuation of application Serial N'o. 693,828, filed February 19, 1924. This application filed March 19,

' 1926. Serial No. 96,076.

The present invention relates to cages, and more particularly to a bird cage intended for household use.

An object of the invention is to provide a bird cage which is of pleasing appearance, and which may be cheaply manufactured.

Another object is to furnish a bird cage of a sanitary character which can be easily and thoroughly cleansed by washing with soap or other suitable detergent, which is light in weight, incorrodible, strong and durable, and withal especially attractive in ap pearance. As regards the appearance of the cage, it is aimed more particularly to enhance its attractiveness by the use of contrasting coloration in the rails or hands, upright rods, or wirelike elements, and other parts of which the cage is constituted, without the necessity of employing paint or other coating which can be picked off by the bird, and which when so picked off is likely to cause poisoning.

Further, it is proposed not only to increase in a very substantial degree the ease with which the cage can be cleaned and kept in a clean, sanitary condition, but also to enhance its appearance by the use of a material combining high luster with translucency.

Again, it is aimed to furnish a bird cage in which the body is formed to a large extent, of a multiplicity of attenuated, flexible, wirelike bird-confining elements providing for light and air, and having the necessary strength and permanency, and yet constructed wholly of cellulose esters material, so as to obtain the additional advantages above noted. Y

A still further object of the invention is to provide a bird cage constructed entirely from one of the cellulose esters, such stock as is known by the trade names of pyralin, celluloid, iiberloid, and visculoid being suitable for the purpose.

The present application is a continuation of my pending application Serial No. 693,- 828, filed Feb. 19, 192%.

The above and other objects of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds in connection with a preferred embodiment'shown in the-accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view.

known, this and other cellulose ester mate- Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of i the arrows. a s

Figure 3 is a detail view showing the connections between the cage structure proper and the bottom or base.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view on the line 44 of Figure 1. I Figure 5 is a detail sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a sectional detail view on the line 66 of Figure l, and

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail view showing the connection between the top and the side walls of the cage structure.

Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description, 10 indicates, generally, the base or bottom, and 11 thebody portion or the cage structure proper, which is detachably connected to the bottom. The entire device is preferably made from a cellulose ester, any of the cellulose plastics being suitablefor this purpose. By-celluloseester is meant any of the products, such as pyralin, celluloid, fiberloid, visculoid, or any of the cellulose nitrate or acetate compounds. I mention particularly celluloid, for, as is well rials mentioned contain either camphor (natural or synthetic) or a. camphor substitute. One advantage of such materials is that the camphor by its continuous volatilization has. the effect of keeping away vermin. This material can be readily manufactured in sheet, bar and strip form, and maybe produced in a variety of colors. Moreover, it is extremely sanitary, can readily be washed with any soap or grease solvent, does not corrode, as will metal, and is harmless if peeked by a bird, whereas the paint used in the manufacture of metalcages is frequently poisonous. Moreover, the material is translucent, and, in many instances, transparent, thus affording proper lightfor the bird.

Again, a material of this character takes a. finish of a very high luster and may be provided with a hard surface, as by polishing or treating with chemical compounds, such as acetone or diacetone. So far as I am aware, it hasnever been heretofore proposed to construct cages from a cellulose compound and the advantages which I have discovered by the 110111111 111-1 111 Cages 111111113 11-11111 1110 materials 3111 131111 11 have never heretofore been 1 1 1 111 zed.

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'1'111 1 11111 111111111 111113 111 detnrhnhly 1'11n- 111 111 11 111 1111 11111111111 11y any 1111111111111 11111111152 For this purpose. depending lngn 131 1111 11011111111011 1111011 1111 11111111111 l111r1z11n1111 1!) 111111 -11r1'y pins 11 111111 11 project. outwardly 111111 1111 1111111111111 111 111 into the sockets or (1111 11111g; 1'1 111 1111 51111 111111 11) 111 1111 1111( 111111. 11 will he understood that; the frame l1111-1xon111ls 19 being 11111110 from relatively thin cellulose stock may be. suitably flexed intermediate the uprights to permit the pins 44 to be sprung into and out of the openings 17. Complementary lugs 43 project upwardly from the bottom and being preferably on opposite sides of the lugs 43 engage the horizontals inorder to prevent accidental flexing of the same and the resulting withdrawal of the pins 44 from their respective sockets in the bottom 10. Additional connecting means in the form of hooks 46 maybe positioned upon the bottom in suitable yokes 4C7 arrying pivot pins 48 so that the hooks may be swung inwardly over the horizontals 19 of the frame structure. By this arrangement, the cage structure proper and the bottom may be readily associated or taken apart for the purpose of cleaning the cage and when connected by the means described are not liable to be separated accidentally.

It will be noted that the structure described. comprises three parts, namely, a bottom, sides and a top, which may be sepa-' rately constructed and then assembled. This permits the firm joining of the various elements or each part before the assembly of the entire cage. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to this arrangement, which, while useful, is not the essence of the invention.

In selecting the plastic compounds for the construction of the cage, it is desirable to have the parts of contrasting colors, and, as will be noted in the drawin s, the frame structure and the bottom are white, while the bars are lined for green. While only a number of the bars have been so lined, it will be understood that all or only a portion of the same may be of this or other colors. Cellulose materials, when heated, can be pressed or otherwise formed to any desired shape, and by reason of the fact that, as stated, they can be readily washed, and in manufacture may be given a higher luster and hard surface finish, they are particularly adaptable to the manufacture of a bird cage. Moreover, as the stock may be readily shaped, cages of any desired form may be constructed. Owing to the extent to which the cellulose esters material can be shaped and bent, and the possibility of securing the parts very permanently by direct adhesion to other parts, the cage can be more readily made in a satisfactory form and character than if constructed of wood, and it has the advantages over both wood and metal which have been previously mentioned. WVhile not possessing the strength of the metal cage it can be constructed with comparable facility, and it has been found that the thin rods or ele ments simulating the wires of the metal cages can be produced and used practically in the production of cages, and that Whenso employed they combine a large degree of flex ibility with quite suflicient strength, ruggedness, and permanency for the use to which they are put Such cages offer surprising resistance to hard knocks and rough usage, and as commercially manufactured exhibit an utter lack of that fragility which might be expected, from their lightness of weight.

It should he understood that where I employ the term camphor. throughout the specification and claims in referring to the ingredients of the cellulose ester stock, I intend to include not merely c'amphor, natural or synthetic, but any substitute for camphor such as triacetone, diethyl phthalate, manol and the like.

lVith the understanding that such modiiications may be made in the article shown and described as properly come within the scope of the invention defined by the following claims, what I claim is; l

1. A bird cage having a frame structure formed from cellulose ester stock with the parts thereof secured together by direct adhesion, and bars of a cellulose ester secured to said frame parts.

2. A bird cage provided with a body por-- tion con'iprising spaced rail pieces and bars extending at right angles to therail pieces and secured thereto, said rail pieces and bars being formed of cellulose ester materials and being secured together by direct adhesion of the cellulose ester materials.

3. A bird cage provided with a body portion comprising vertically spaced rail pieces and uprightly disposed bars, said rail pieces and bars being formed of cellulose ester materials united byv direct adhesion, and binding strips of a cellulose ester extending across the said bars and united to said rail pieces between the bars by direct adhesion.

4. A bird cage provided with a body portion including a frame and bars constructed substantially entirely from cellulose ester material with a camphor ingredient.

5. A device of the class described comprising a. bot-tom, a cage structure including uprights and horizontal frame pieces connecting said uprights, and pin and socket means i for detachably connecting the bottom and the cage structure, said means comprising a frame pieces, a pin projecting outwardly from said lug adapted to be received by a suitable socket on said bottom, the frame depending lug on one of said horizontal ments lying in contact with the inner faces of said rails, binding stripsof cellulose esters material extending along the inner faces of said rails across said wirelike elements and united to said rails by direct adhesion hetween the \virelilze elements so as to form a one :piece structure, a suspension tip at the top of the cage and a structure connected with said tip comprising a multiplicity of dowmvardly and outwardly divergingwirelike elements of cellulose esters material located above the upper rail, and means for securing said last named wirelihe elements to said upper rat] by direct adhesion of the cellulose esters material so that said wirelike elements are in one piece with the side wall.

7. A one piece bird cage body frame havin rails and wirel'orni elements consisting ol cellulose esters having a camphor ingredient and fused together.

In lestimony whereof I ha \e hereunto set my hand.

ROSS L. 'llllilJlS. 

